12hrs in the Piney - 6+6 Pairs

Solos, Teams and Support Crew.

 It has been a massive build towards Armidale hosting the WEMBO World 24hr Solo titles in 2020. As part of this build the New England MTB Club have hosted a couple of National Cup races, and a year out from WEMBO they hosted the Asia/Pacific WEMBO/National 24hr Solo Champs and their annual 12hrs in the Piney race, as one event!

With team mate Browny looking for a pairs partner, and our only goal to attend, we were off to the races and had our spot booked in the 6+6 event. Riders from all over NSW/ACT, QLD and some from Victoria (we even spotted a kiwi flag) descended on Armidale for a festive weekend of racing.

A combination of WEMBO, National 24 solo and 12hrs in the Piney.

With everyone settled in their pitting areas and the formalities carried out by NEMTB, Browny was dressed and ready to go (for our little team). We had Kevlar, Catherine and Dalene from the JetBlack Team entered in the 24 solo, Guru and Chops in the pits, and Peter returning to riding in the solo 6+6.  In addition to our pit area we had multiple World Champ Jason English and crew Jenni PLUS Grafton locals Michelle and Grant (in their first 24 solo).

A number of small changes had cleaned up the UNE trail providing a mostly smooth hard-packed trail free of loose obstacles and gravel. They had included a couple of kilometres of grass following the creek-line and a steady-grade grass hill to push the trail out to 10km. With the solos getting a two minute lead on the 6+6 riders, we had about thirty minutes to get dressed and ready for Browny's return.

Working our way through the trails on a warm and windy Saturday afternoon.

Browny and I went lap for lap, heading out onto the trail. While resting and fuelling in the pits we helped out as the solo riders rolled through. Many solo riders were just as quick as many of the teams, well at this early stage. It was a very fluid and dynamic environment within the pit, looking out for our riders, being on hand to help and getting ourselves ready for our next snappy lap.

As the afternoon progressed it was evident Browny and I were being outclassed by the duo of Justin and Simon, but we were also having a little friendly competition with the Inverell pair Jodi and Brad. As the afternoon faded and the 6+6 riders completed their first 6hrs, the solo riders plodded on, probably relishing in the quiet open trails.

When the 6+6 race paused, we continued to help the solo riders.

It was time to refuel, savour Guru's custom pizzas and to maintain vigilance for our solo riders. For the solos it was was "lights-on", warm food and bike swap. It had been a windy afternoon and as dusk settled in the wind died down, the party atmosphere paused and the flood-lights were lit. 

After a short sleep it was an early rise to pull on some fresh gear, including all out winter warmers for the single digit dawn temperatures. I was pretty happy to knock out that first lap and hand over to Browny as the sun started it's steady rise into the clear sky. Unfortunately with the rise of the sun the wind began too, punishing all riders with a headwind over open sections of trail.

Having a blast on Sunday morning.

As many of our previous experiences have shown, much had happened overnight with the solos. The drop in the wind had increased the dust through the pine forest. Quite a few riders had paused for lengthy periods overnight. Notably the Elite female leader had stopped at lap 17, around midnight, opening the door for those chasing ladies. There was a few changes of placings in the Elite male as Mick Sherwood faced off with Kevin Hawes for 2nd place. Mick eventually stopped racing at 29 laps, over 18hrs of racing due to issues with the raised dust. There were so many different stories.

The trail conditions hadn't changed much overnight, maybe a little more dusty. Browny and I completed our laps with a double by me. We'd put in a solid effort staying competitive with those around us. We held onto a 2nd place in the Pairs, a couple of laps on 3rd.

A solid 12hrs of racing with Browny.

Our team mates went well too, Kevlar rode into 5th with 24 laps. Catherine held 1st with 29 laps and Dalene placed 1st with 12 laps. Peter completed 8 laps in the solo 6+6. Watch out 2020 WEMBO...

Full results here.

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Team mate handover.

Getting Ready for 12hrs Solo

For WEMBO (24hrs Solo) last year we had a couple of bikes setup nice. In particular this week it is all about our hardtail, the On One Inbred. We have been on this bike for over a year now and it runs so well over a variety of terrain.

The WEMBO On One looked like,

• Conti rubber - X-King on front with Race King on the back. We have had mixed experiences with Conti tyres, their UST versions were great and the Protection models good but unfortunately the sidewall and sidewall to bead areas of the base race models just couldn't stand the test of time.
• Wheelset by Curve Cycling. It was a shame we couldn't hold onto these beauties. 
• X-Fusion Slide forks. Still going strong.
• ODI Ruffian grips. Showing all the k's they have done.
• Gearing, a classic 3x9 SRAM XO.

Very soon it is the JetBlack 12hr at James Estate and time well due for an On One spruce up.
First it was the ODI grips, after all the k's and weather they have been through, the lock on had rusted up. Removal meant, torque sheering one attaching bolt and the other having the head drilled off.

In place of the ODI grips are a set of silicon foam grips as tested and highly rated on our other bike.

The Contis are off and in their place tubeless ready Racing Ralphs by Schwalbe. Which so far have been very reliable on our other bike.

In keeping with the fat carbon rim idea from Curve Cycling we recycled an old set of DT Swiss 240s custom built within their own fat carbon hoops.

Last of all, we ditched the 9 speed XO derailleur for a 10 speed type 2 clutch mech. Our engineering department took just 30 minutes to convert the type 2 mech to 9 speed and have it workshop tested.
We won't call  it pretty, but amazingly after 100km of on trail testing, faultless. The clutch roller bearing works a treat too!

On the trail near you soon.

WEMBO 2013

Have been mulling over WEMBO for a couple of days now, so here we go.

The Plan

With any event it is good to have a plan, especially as a plan can be reflected on to better the next event. For WEMBO 2013 we used a modified plan that we had used for our successful 2010 WSC.

Training

While I had good intentions on some quality block training it never came to fruition and was more sporadic, with a few good social rides and some racing thrown in. Six weeks out and issues effecting my body all year had settled down and we finally looked to my training from 2010. The idea was to make my body as efficient as possible, in the time available. Using Mark Fenner's FTP sessions and principals a six week plan was laid out. During these six weeks Sydney suffered from hot and windy weather and considering the conditions much of my FTP sessions were carried out indoors. This meant we could control the environment and left me to only worry about focusing on the session. Thankfully most sessions can be completed in an hour, where quality over quantity is the key, spin bike just aren't that fun (sorry Chops).

I still got out on my mountain bike for some fun to either razz around single-track or make some noise amongst a road bunch. It is important to keep it fun.

Throughout the year we have also been involved with many challenge-through-adversity situations giving myself insights, tools and much of the required mental preparation needed for racing a bike for 24hrs.

The Event

Pre-race is all about preparation and relaxation. For us it involved trying to get up as late as possible, very hard when your body clock is set to go off at 6am. Getting to Stromlo with sufficient time to arrange our pit/crew area. Hydrate, ablute, dress, chamois cream, sun cream and the nerves start to kick in. Roll around, high fives, good-lucks, all the time the commentators are trying to build the atmosphere and for a sobering minute before the start of the race we reflect on previous days accident.

The race

Initially I planned on two phases during the event, one being the cruise around for 18hrs and the second being the six hour race to the finish. This year there were clearly 3 phases.

Elite riders five minutes in.

Phase One

With the elite riders already ten minutes ahead we were released onto the Stromlo trail, there was a bit of a rush but I resisted and fell in beside Canberra local and in-race commentator Grantley. This phase initially consisted of me sussing out the trail, sorting the lines, soft pedalling and making the most of the flowing sections. Less braking equals less pedalling, and with a little wind on our backs I was managing to pump and roll an entire single-track section each lap, saving my legs for later use. It was close to the four hour mark when Ed, the leading Elite rider, passed us and seemed like an age till the other Elite contendors caught us.

Other highlights included a noisy dry chain, bike swap, a slow leaking rear tyre, stop and pump it up, bike swap followed by a further bike swap to the dually as the rocky, breaking rut filled course started taking its toll. My crew were now in a rhythm with my hourly needs and things were ticking along like clockwork. With lights on and I waited as long as possible before turning them on, we where off cruising into the night.

Phase Two

Around the 14-16th laps I was struggling physically, on the main climb my body was just wanting to sleep. I tried to counter this with caffeinated gels, which has worked before, but they didn't seem to have an effect. Thankfully hitting the top of the hill and the first downhill section adrenaline kicked in and the remainder of the lap didn't seem to be an issue. Still the falling asleep on the bike wasn't a great time and I was forced to step off multiple times during the climbs to refocus and eat. Through the haze of phase two I do remember plenty of offers by passing riders but I was fighting my own internal battle.

Phase Three

The final phase started when the sun peeked over the horizon and the dawn light reached across the sky and touched the mountain. It was like a switch in me, I felt instantly activated, focused and with raring to go. The turtle had become the hare. I came screaming into my pits, way ahead of time with demands of water and gels, my crew scrambled. I needed to know where I was sitting and my deficit to the next rider, transitioning through the pit area I heard there was a fair chunk of time to make up. Kicking a couple of gears the six hour sprint to the finish was on.
Over the few hours I felt I was on fire, there was nobody I couldn't catch. Every time I looked up the trail there was another possible target and I caught everyone I saw. The time gap to the next rider had dropped, quite significantly and my crew were hoping no one was going to notice. Making our way into the final few hours things were getting close, I got the "give-it-your-all" call and over these laps I surprised myself in passing many riders I thought I'd never see.

Reaching the final descent, only minutes till the finish and it was only empty trail that I could see. Popping the last few tabletops and rounding the 4X track I sprinted the last few hundred meters, after all it had been a race. Immediately after crossing the line I heard Sam Moffit's voice, Sam had been the rider I had been chasing for the last six hours. It had been a fine effort and Sam had managed to hold a two minute gap at the end of 24hrs of WEMBO.

Post-race at a 24hr is just as important as the racing and having experienced some bad post race effects I was keen to make right. My crew were on hand with a liquid protein meal replacement as I rolled the legs around for ten minutes. Heading to our pit area I was relieved to sit down for the first time in over 25hrs and finally tuck into a rice meal, mmm real food. There was still a queazy couple of moments while waiting for a shower, due to possible dehydration and over-exertion my body was having an attempt at shutting down. After removing a later or two of Stromlo dust it was back to rest and hydrate. Hopefully with a week of recovery rides and racing within a couple of weeks.

Thanks again to my support crew and Mark's crew for their help. Thanks to all those who have helped me this year to make it all happen. CORC and WEMBO for running a smooth event. Congratulations to Jason English and Jess Douglas our WEMBO Champions, not forgetting those who deserve an honourable mention by taking out the age group titles.

WEMBO Thanks

Thanks to CORC and the WEMBO team for putting on the event.

These sorts of events are much easier to compete in with a great support crew, thanks to my attentive crew Donna and Alex. Our pit row neighbours supporting WEMBO rider Mark Astley, Hally and Haysie, were also great to have around.

Other shout-outs I need to make, Shane Taylor, Sean Bekkers, Jason Pilgrim, Rocky Trail Entertainment, Matthew Spriggs, just to list a few that had a hand in making my weekend.

Bike 1.
Frame: One-On Inbred
Fork: X-Fusion Slide 29er by DIYMTB
Running Gear: SRAM XO/Truvativ 3x9
Wheels: Good Edition by Curve Cycling
Tyre: Conti Protection Series X-King (F), Race King (R), the Jason English combo
Saddle: WTB Silverado
Grips: ODI Ruffian Lock-ons
Pedals: Shimano XT
Brakes: Shimano XT
Finishing: Truvativ/Easton

Bike 2.
Frame: Pivot 429 Alloy by JetBlack Cycling
Fork: X-Fusion Trace by DIYMTB
Running Gear: SRAM XO/ Shimano XT 2x10
Wheels: Shimano XT/Stans Crest Custom Built by Mick Smith
Tyre: Schwalbe Snakeskin Racing Ralf (F), Conti Protection X-King (R)
Saddle: WTB Silverado
Grips: Silicon Foam
Pedals: Shimano XT
Brakes: Shimano XT
Finishing: Truvativ/Easton

Here is the 19.5hrs of data my Bryton captured.

Rocky Trail's Shimano Grand Prix at Stromlo

There are a only a few times a year we visit Canberra and when we turn off the Tuggeranong Parkway, seeing Stromlo clearly for the first time I still get a little buzz. The car park is full, colourful tents speckle the hillside but this time we aren't here for one of Stromlo's famous 24s. This was the final instalment of the Shimano Grand Prix, the last round of Rocky Trail Entertainment's endurance series.

It was a festive-like atmosphere in the transition area at the bottom of the downhill track. You look back up the mountain and the blue Shimano arch contrasts against the green scrub. There was another packed field with over 300 individual and team riders. At the start, the front three rows under the arch were full of riders that could win a XC or enduro race, powerhouses of our Australian scene. Martin's rolling start did little to quell the first section of single track bottle-neck but we were off and racing.

First lap conga.

Like most of NSW, the ACT has had next to no rain in the previous month and the conditions were super dry on the trail. Many sections are concrete hard and the heavily exposed rocks make for a bumpy ride through the technical sections. On the first lap I was more worried about my previous days session and how my legs felt than the conga line up the hill. I could feel lag in my legs from the HR Vo2 session the Fenz had called for but it wasn't to worry as on the next couple of laps I had warmed up and found my groove.

Flowing lines in the shadow of the Shimano arch.

Was a big fan of the choice of trails, there was significant work to be done getting to the top for the wickedly awesome Skyline-Luge combination. It looked as though I was lapping in around 30 minutes and under a clear sky the Stromlo hillside had warmed up quite a bit, quite easily emptying a full large bottle of fluid in two laps. By mid race I could still see my competitors ahead of me thanks to the looping trail. Turn it up on hour three was the plan.

Open, hard-packed, dry, fast.

I didn't get that far, my next visit to Luge I took the A-line gap and landed hard on the rear wheel, cracking the rim. Admittedly it has been a while since I've had to put a tube in and all this time I've been carrying the gear, never having to use it in an event. I was finally the one beside the trail, with everyone asking me if I was ok. Cheers for that friends. A tube, a CO2 canister and I limp back through transition my fast last-hour blown out of the water.

Thanks to the MIA Dirtriders for the laughs and keeping my bottles in the shade. The Slide 29er fork, from DIY MTB, continues to work very well and will be due for a scheduled service before WEMBO. Surprisingly since it wasn't just the rim bead surface that had damaged, the carbon rim remained straight. The question still remains if I could have ridden on the rim for another hour and not damaged more parts in the process. And on a final note it must have been quite warm during the event because I consumed three cartons of flavoured milk between when I finished and dinner.

Photos from the event on the CrummyMTB FB page here.
4hr Podium photos on the CrummyMTB FB page here.

The WEMBO Course

Being a World Championship the choice of trails is important and while WEMBO are yet to publicise the chosen trails for 2013 the 2010 World Solo Championship course gives us an idea of what might be install.

Starting on the Crit Track the trail will head down to Holden’s Creek, riders will be able to refuel through this section, as the trail is not overly technical. It then heads to Fence-line, which popes you out at Cockatoo Switchbacks, this is the first ascent towards the top and is the main ascent trail. The ascending tracks are not highly technical, groups will form and we could see the main WEMBO contenders go straight to the front to test the legs, but this only the start of a laps ascents. Once you arrive at Echidna Gap Junction the trail really starts to get interesting in our eyes. 

The 2010 Course, 

The first descent will be down Western Wedge-tail, while this trail is not overly technical; it is very rocky and will take a toll on the body. From here you will head down into Pork Barrel, a highly technical track, if your not concentrating you will crash.  At the moment Pork Barrel is not in the best condition and could dramatically change during the race.

Next up is Party Line; this is a very well known track to those who visit Stromlo regularly. The trail has featured in many events and with its sweeping berms on which you can hold your speed throughout. Party Line will be one of the most enjoyed track on the day but it is likely the conditions will change during the night, get worse as the race goes on. You will then climb back up to get the XCM Climb via Skips, during this section you will be able to hydrate and get a gel down. The XCM Climb is where there maybe some fireworks as WEMBO contenders put legs to the test again. The climb is a steep rutty fire-trail and can be very technical, get out of the saddle and spinout. Eventually you will pop out at Echidna Gap Junction for the second time, from here you will head down Roller Coaster, the current state of this track is bad and it is unlikely it will not change between now and October. Roller Coaster could be considered a technical part of the course and is a place you could quite easily crash if not careful.

Joining on from the Roller Coaster the course could possibly use the famous Skyline and Luge tracks, these descending trails wind down towards transition, are currently in good condition and hold up very well throughout 24-hour events.

A big factor will be how the trails hold up from the Scott 24-hour which is just the week prior to WEMBO. The trails listed above are just some of the available routes around Stromlo, check out the Scott 24hr website for the 2013 Scott course for other possible variations.

James Ross, OnTheGo Racing

James is current Under 23 National Solo 24hr Champion. He has, over the last few months, spent countless hours training specifically for WEMBO and as you can see has intimate knowledge of Stromlo's trails. Watch this guy come October.

Some CrummyMTB videos that feature Stromlo trails:
2011 Scott 24hr
2012 Rollercoaster
2012 Rollercoaster Champs
2012 ADCC Champs 
2013 Flow Rollercoaster